By Bida Elly David
The authorities of Juba City council yesterday sworn in 31 local councilors to regulate and maintain law and order pertaining the day-to-day affairs of the city council as stated in the Local Government Act 2009.
Juba City Legislative Councilors are local legislators at the level of the city entrusted by the Local Government Act to develop laws and principles to guide the conduct of the city council as well as the citizens leaving within the jurisdiction of the city under three blocks of Kator, Munuki and Juba.
The swearing in ceremony was headed by the Mayor of Juba City and his deputy alongside his subordinates from the administration.
Recently, the governor of Central Equatoria State directed the county Commissioners and the Mayor of Juba City to swear in the long awaited councilors who would have been matriculated sometimes back. The local government and municipal council administrators were conditioned to either swear in their legislative council legislators or resign from their positions after the Friday 26th of August deadline.
Speaking during the event yesterday, the Mayor of Juba City H.W Michael Lado Allah-Jabu, said the Juba City Legislative Council will be responsible to formulate bylaws on land administration and environmental management.
“The councilors would have been sworn in long time back unfortunately because of some challenges, we could not be able to do it. My dear councilors; the Local Government Act 2009 regulates the activities of the local council and that is why section 24 of the Act states the primary responsibilities of the council which shall be but not limited to the following,” he said.
“The council is responsible to regulate and maintain law and public order, secondly is the regulation, provision and maintenance of service to the people, thirdly land administration and environmental management, fourthly is the encouragement and promotion of local development and provision of access and opportunity for the people to engage in the development of the right of the people and their interests,” he elaborated.
Allah-Jabu also directed the sworn in councilors to stick to the primary responsibilities they are mandated by the local government Act to exercise and ensure that the key responsibilities are implemented to serve the people of Juba city.
He added that, the swearing in would have been followed by the election of the chairperson to the council but parties to the agreement have not yet agreed on the elements on concern that would have determined the success of choosing the chairperson of the council.
The Juba City Mayor stated that out of the key tasks the Local Government Act rendered to councilors, there are five primary responsibilities of the local government council that they have to stick onto, respect it and you have to abide by it.
For his part, Taban Charles, the acting Chief Executive Officer of Juba City Council urged the councilors to exercise their duties without fear or favor as well as commit their efforts as law making body of the Council.
He said that being a law making body at the local council was a mark to ensure that the laws are implemented as demanded by the act.